Transcript Restoration for Healthy Farms and Fish

Watershed Restoration
Overview
for the
Klamath Basin
Restoration for Healthy Farms
and Fish
• Ranchers and Farmers have taken a pro-active
approach to restoration since the early 1990’s
• These activities have been implemented to
improve water quality/quantity and improve
habitat for fish and wildlife species
• Thousands of volunteer hours and millions of
dollars have been spent to improve conditions in
the Basin and throughout the watershed
Impressive Actions Undertaken for
Environmental Restoration
• Local efforts to assist National Wildlife Refuges
• Ecosystem Enhancement and Sucker Recovery Efforts in
the Upper Basin
• Fish Passage Improvement Projects
• Wildlife Enhancement and Wetland Restoration Efforts
Undertaken by Upper Basis Agricultural Interests
• Local Efforts to improve Water Quality
• Power Resource Development
• Efforts to Improve Klamath Project Water Supply
Reliability and Water Use Efficiency
• On the ground activities have included
Riparian fencing
Fish screens
Irrigation efficiency
Irrigation tail water wetlands
Culvert replacement for fish passage
Off Stream Water Troughs
Irrigation Efficiency Practices
Wetland Restoration
Total Land Changed to Wetland
• Approximately 98,000 acres of production
agricultural land has been converted to wetlands in
Klamath County
• Ag land uses approximately 2 to 2 ½ acre/feet
whereas wetlands uses 4 to 4 ½ acre/feet of water
• There is a cost to water quality efforts produced
from wetland restoration in total water
consumption
Walking Wetlands
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Benefits for both agriculture and wildlife
Fields are flooded for 1 year
Bureau of Reclamation mandates 600/acres year
US Fish and Wildlife mandates 400/acres year
Reduced pesticide use when returned to ag corps
Focus is to improve water quality for fish both in
the basin and down stream to the mouth of the
Klamath
Nature Conservancy’s Wetland Restoration
• Located at the mouth of
the Williamson River
• This project has been
identified as one of the
most important projects
for restoration
• Coupled with Chiloquin
Dam removal, this project
has the potential to greatly
improve Sucker survival
and habitat and assist with
improving water quality
Improving Sucker Habitat
• Currently, many Suckers are spawning from
the mouth of the Williamson to the
Chiloquin Dam
• Introduced predatory fish species consume
millions of Sucker fish larval within this
stretch
• Removing dam would allow Suckers access
to 75 miles spawning and rearing habitat
Recognition
• KWUA was awarded the 2003 “Leadership in
Conservation” award by the Oregon Department of
Agriculture
• KWUA in 2004 was honored on the steps of the capitol for
“exemplifying the spirit” of the Oregon Plan for Salmon
and Watersheds
• Tulelake Irrigation District in January 2004 received the F.
Gordon Johnston award for its innovative canal lining
project completed near Newell
• U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman and NRCS
chief Bruce Knight in 2004 recognized local rancher Mike
Byrne for his leadership in conservation.
Farmer/Fishermen Coalition
• The “farmer vs. fishermen” issue has been manipulated by certain
environmental groups who place the blame for fishery restrictions on
irrigation
• To dispel these myths farmers and fishermen have been meeting and
working together to resolve water quality/quantity issues in the
Klamath
• Farmers and Fishermen have proposed the following
1)Modernize and expand hatchery operations
2)Control predation at the mouth of the River
3)Improve real-time ocean management
4) Development of new offstream storage
“Farmers and Fishermen are producers who want to work cooperatively
towards real solution”
Long Lake
• Initial analysis of Long Lake has identified it as a
potential offstream storage site near Upper
Klamath Lake
• The facility could capture surplus flows in the
Klamath River system and store between 350,000
acre 550,000 acre feet water
• The stored water could then be used for meeting
Klamath River instream flow objectives, thus
increasing Klamath Project water supply
reliability while providing benefits to downstream
fishing interests
Klamath County Natural Resource
Advisory Council
• The Klamath County Commissioners formed this
council January 2006 to make recommendations to
the Board on issues related to natural resources
that have an impact on Klamath County and its
citizens
• The Council is comprised of a diverse cross
section of citizens from the County
Restoring the Watershed
• Klamath farmers and ranchers are committed to
supporting conservation to ensure a viable and
sustainable agricultural lifestyle.
• They are also committed to implementing
practices to assist with improving conditions
downriver for fishing interests.
• Project by project we will continue to institute
practices that will help preserve our way of life
and that of those downstream.